GENTLE KINDNESS

Bein' poor has any number of connotations.

Hand-me-down clothes, holes in your shoes, beans and taters, ragged cars, and whatever your memory provides.

I would NEVER imply that memories of being economically poor are bad memories. My childhood recollections are of a loving family and an enjoyable environment. Well hell, I maybe could blog a couple or three issues, but that would be for another time?

My point is that growing up poor provides a different perspective from - hell if I know - because I did not experience anything else??????

Point in fact: Like most poor country folk, we "canned" vegetables to eat during the "hard times". The more affluent "poor" folk grew their vegetables. We, however, lacked enough ground to grow anything but weeds (and didn't always have a mower to cut them).

At our level of economic advantage, we acquired vegetables on the "half". This meant that we would travel to a local farm that grew tomatoes, peas, beans, okra, squash, or you name it? For whatever the family "picked", you got to keep half with no charge. Pick a bushel of tomatoes for the farm owner and you could pick a bushel to keep for yourself.

Awesome advantage for adults trying to feed a family. Hell on earth for a kid that just wanted to run barefoot and cavort all summer.

I remember sitting in the shade of the elm tree on the south side of our house for many a day shelling peas, "snapping" beans, coring tomatoes, cutting okra pods, and generally becoming a mental zombie from the routine of the chore.

Fortunately, I also remember the incredible flavor of those garden veggies when winter dawned. I remember tomato juice that had streamed flavor stronger than train smoke. I remember green beans and new potatoes cooked with bacon that to this day makes my mouth water with the memory. I remember jellies, jams, jars, and juices that fairly shouted to be consumed with their summer sun blessed goodness and extreme flavor.

But most of all, I now "remember" the hard, hot, dirty work that my mother endured to provide that bounty for our nutrition and our enjoyment. Mom didn't have money in any form, but she had more love for her children than my words can impart. That devotion made her drive to feed us stronger that any force you can imagine.

I love you more each day Mother, and thank you from my heart for your love, understanding, and gentle kindness in all things.